Play Me Part III
by TheBlackDove4
Summary: After Bella came to the conclusion that Edward had played her, she continues to keep the friendship alive. It doesn't take long for things to get strange and Bella begins to rethink her conclusion. BxE All-Human
1. FML

I woke up at 5:00 in a cold sweat from one of the worst nightmares. I dreamt that Charlie was beating the ever-living shit out of me abusively. The second my eyes opened, my mind didn't revert back to the dream; it immediately reverted back to the conversation I had had with Edward only hours before. I closed by eyes and curled up under my covers. I didn't go back to sleep. I couldn't. I wanted to; I would much rather dream about being abused by my father than to actually live with what was happening to me at that moment. I laid there until Charlie came for me.

When I finally did have to get up, I checked my phone to see that I had a text message from Jack. He had sent it at 1:01 this morning. It read, _"1:00. But at least it's Friday (:"_

_Fabulous, _I thought. I had only gotten four hours of sleep last…. this morning and that didn't keep me from having to face Edward. I quickly texted Jack back to thank him for staying up with me. Then I got dressed. When I looked in the mirror, I was even scared of myself. My face was almost unrecognizable. I knew it was going to be one hell of a long day. And it only got longer when Charlie was driving me to school.

"Bells, the Webers called last night. They have to run to the airport tomorrow morning to pick up Angela."

"Oh, is she coming home from Florida?"

"Yes. But they have to be there to pick her up at 4:30. So you would need to be there at around 3:30."

"Please tell me you mean in the afternoon…"

"Sorry, Bells. Morning."

"Oh my God…"

"I know, I know."

"Okay, I'll do it."

"I knew you would," she said, smiling. "So what's up with you this morning? You look like hell."

"Thanks, Dad. Edward knows."

"God, Bella…" he sighed. "Did you tell him?"

"I didn't have to. He knew all along."

"What are you talking about?"

"The crush. He's known about it this whole time. He even claimed to know last year in our Spanish class!"

"Well, did he finally admit that he likes _you_?"

"No, because he doesn't."

"Did he say that?"

I hesitated. "No, _I_ did. But I told him to agree with it and he did."

"So you didn't let him speak for himself? Bella, you basically told him what to say! I guarantee you that he only agreed with it because he thought it was what you wanted to hear!"

"No, Dad. If he liked me, he would say it. He would've said it in the very beginning, especially since he's known all along! For the past four months, he knew I liked him, so if he liked me too, he would have chosen me over Tanya _and_ Jane."

"Bells, that doesn't mean shit. He likes you, I guarantee it. He's just being stupid. He's a guy."

"No, guys aren't complicated. In body language, at least. If he liked me, he would make us happen. But he didn't."

"I'm telling you. I know what I'm talking about."

I sighed and shook my head. Charlie just didn't understand. He thought he knew, but he didn't. Then it hit me.

"Dad, last night, when we were talking…"

"Yeah?"

"He said something that made me extremely confused."

"What was it?"

"When he was trying to force the big secret out of me, I said, 'I thought you said you would never push me'. And he said, 'into sex, but this is pissing me off'."

Charlie erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Dad, what the hell?! This isn't funny!"

"It's sorta funny…" he continued to laugh.

"What did he mean by that? I mean, did he consider it once? What was that supposed to insinuate?"

"Of course he thought about it, Bella. Every guy does. I don't know what Edward meant by that; I'm not him. But it is odd, I'll give it that."

I was silent.

"I just can't believe you gave up without a bigger fight."

"Excuse me?! Dad, I gave it everything I had! But he had already guessed it, so it was useless! I had nothing to lose."

"Oh, please! You pretty much just gave him what he wanted without putting up a fight."

"For your information, I traded my secret for one of his."

"And what was that?"

"I asked him why he lied to me at La Push."

"Did he answer the question?"

"Not really, no."

"Well, what did he say?"

"All he said was that he was gonna make sure I made it home. That was the only _new_ information I got out of him."

"You didn't press him?"

"No."

"God, Bella, you can't go soft on him! If you don't pressure him, you're not gonna get anywhere! If he really wanted to know what were on those messages, he would have told you anything you wanted to know. But you didn't press him for it, so he easily got away with half-assing his answer."

"Brilliant."

When we pulled up to the school, I got out and ran to the lunchroom where Alice was waiting for me. I rushed up to her quickly.

"This is bullshit, Bella, I'm telling you!" she squealed.

"No, it isn't. Charlie thinks the same as you, but it's over. Face it."

"I've said it once and I'll say it again. I'm not facing shit with you. And it's only because you're wrong. He likes you. He's just being stupid. I mean, don't you remember when it finally hit you? When you finally knew that he liked you? You just _knew_?"

"That doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes, it does! It has always mattered and it always will! You felt it in you, Bella! You knew in your heart that it was true! Beyond a shadow of a doubt, you _knew_." Alice stared deeply into my eyes urgently. "If you felt it that strongly, Bella… it _has_ to be true. It _has_ to be."

"My intuition can't be trusted. That's the _only _thing I know anymore."

Alice sighed and moved on.

"But what about the whole sex thing? What was that supposed to mean?"

"No idea."

"Well, what about the La Push thing? That wasn't much of an answer…"

"I know."

"Why do you think he lied. I mean, you asked him why he lied and all he says is that he was going to take you home. Bella, if I remember correctly, you and Edward were the only ones on that stage when he cooked up that proposition. That's why he got away with lying to you in the first place; there were no witnesses. So why didn't he just tell you that he was going to take you home? Why lie?"

"I've been wondering the same damn thing…"

"Bella, there's more going on than he's saying. There's more behind that night than we know. And Edward is the only one who can tell us."

"Well, one thing's for sure. We can't ask him about it. I've used up that one chance. It's over."

"God, would you stop saying that?! It's not over, damn it! It's not over until we get answers!"

"Well, we haven't got any of those, have we, Alice?"

"Fine," she pouted.

"I can't face him, Alice."

"Yes, you can. He said he wouldn't treat you differently, remember? He's not going to change anything. And if there's one thing Edward's good at, it's keeping his word."

"I guess you're right… but I still don't want to do this."

"Listen to me, Bella," she said, taking me by the shoulders, "this may very well be the longest day of your sophomore year. I'm not gonna lie. But once you get through it, it's cake from there on out."

"Great… now tell me the truth."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, so maybe it won't be _cake_, but it won't be _hell_."

I smiled as best I could, trying to give Alice a little hope for me, but I knew she could see right through it. So I spent the first two periods trying to come up with some plan to skip drama and not get caught, but I couldn't think. My mind was completely blank. I even had to remind myself to breathe. So when the bell rang to release us from second period, I died a little inside.

I trudged through the ran up the walk to the drama building in defeat. I could hear his footsteps behind me again. But this time, they seemed to be like boulders being dropped from the sky. They were so loud. The sound filled my head as the boulders dropped closer and closer, following me. I didn't slow down or look back. In fact, I sped up discreetly. But still, I heard him stalk behind me as I went inside without looking at him. I didn't stop; I went straight to the stage.

But when I walked through the metal door, I was stopped by countless props in my way. There was no way I was gonna get through. I had to think fast. If I could get back through the door and down the hallway without Edward seeing me, I could sneak into the House through the lobby without having to face him. No such luck. I rushed out of the door and turned the corner. But I knew it was no use. I could already hear the footsteps.

"Bella," Edward semi-sang. _Fuck my life._

"Yes?" I semi-sang back as I kept walking.

"I was online with Tanya last night and she told me that she'd meet me so that I could give back her book, but she got pissed that I was giving it back and sent Lauren to get it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. That pisses me off. I mean, she told me she'd meet me. I at least expected her to keep her word."

"She's a girl. She's a liar."

"She's a bitch. I told her straight up that I just don't like her anymore, but she just can't seem to get that through her head."

"Well, she didn't face you to return the necklace, so what made you think that she'd face you now?"

"I still expected her to keep her word."

I nodded, smiled, and went into the House. No one was in there except Embry.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"We're in the classroom with the tech class."

"Brilliant…"

I went back to the classroom where Rosalie and Alice were waiting nervously.

"Where's Edward?"

"Bathroom."

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Yeah, we were just talking. Just like we've always talked…"

"Well, that's good, isn't it?"

"Yes," I said, and I actually believed that. I was going to be okay.


	2. The Day I Fell in Love

On Monday, it was the first day of February. Edward and I were sitting together in the classroom, waiting for Rosalie and Alice to get back.

"You need a boyfriend," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"You need a boyfriend. You need to have fun."

"What kind of fun are we talking about here?"

"Not _that_ kind of fun. You know, _clean_ fun. No drugs, no alcohol, no sex. Just good, clean fun."

"Yeah, well, I'll see what I can do."

"I'll see what I can do, too."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm gonna start hooking you up."

"Oh, boy…."

"You really need to get out of your house and away from your parents."

"I guess you're right… but don't start hooking me up. Please."

Edward eyed me suspiciously. "Why not?"

"It's not necessary."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but then Rosalie and Alice walked in, cutting him off. After we all settled down and started watching She's the Man, Edward tapped me on the shoulder.

"Can I use your phone?"

"Sure." I opened my phone and deleted my texts. Then I handed it to him.

"Thank you."

After a little while, Edward placed my phone carefully on my folded arms. I guess Jane wasn't answering today. After about ten minutes, Edward turned to me.

"Bella, did she ever respond?"

"Nope. But it took her fifteen minutes last time, remember?"

"Well, I got her in trouble yesterday after church. Her parents found out that we were left alone in her basement."

"Let me guess," I said, "nothing happened, but they freaked out anyway?"

Edward smirked mischievously and turned back to the screen. I rolled my eyes.

Three days later, on February 4th, I realized something very important. I had been having feelings for Edward Cullen for four months. _Over_ four months, actually. But there was something else… something far more dangerous than anything. It was what Edward had described as the most powerful thing in this world. And I knew exactly what it was. Love. But it was only dangerous because of who I felt it for. It was then that I had to admit it to myself. But no one could ever know. Not even Alice. After four months of liking Edward, I had finally fallen in love with him.


	3. First Date

"Yes, he does!"

"Can it, Alice."

"If you think I'm gonna give up that easily, then you've got another thing coming!"

"Tough shit. I don't believe it."

"Think about it, Bella."

"I have. He's been playing me all along."

"I know you think that, but I don't."

"Alice, you don't know him like I do. I don't think anyone has ever gotten as close to him as I have."

"You're right. I've never been as close to Edward as you are and I don't know anyone who has. But I've known him for years. Not as well as you do, of course, but well enough to know this."

"Know what?"

Alice leaned toward me. "I know you remember what happened two weeks ago in the lobby. When your great-grandmother died?"

"Yes…"

"Edward came in there to talk to you. He did what he could to comfort you and he was really sweet to you that day. He even wanted to go with you to the _funeral_, Bella. The way he treated you… I know him well enough to know that he wasn't playing. And you can't honestly tell me that you believe he doesn't care."

I was stunned. Alice was right. It was undeniably true what she was saying. I tried to convince myself otherwise, but I knew she was right.

"Tell me, Bella," she pressed. "Tell me it isn't true."

"I can't."

"I didn't think so. And it's because it _is_ true. Whether you believe he was playing you or not, he wasn't playing when he asked you if you wanted him to go with you to that funeral. I mean, c'mon, Bella. _I_ wouldn't even think about going with you and I love you more than anyone! What does that say about _him_?"

"I thought only a person who liked me would want to do something like that. So either you're right and he's hiding it… or I have one hell of a friend."

"I think it could be either. Right now, it's a solid fact that you have one hell of a friend. But the other one… it's questionable. But I think the chances are good, though."

"This isn't over, is it?"

"It isn't."

"But I have one hell of a best friend, don't I?"

"You have to ask?"

I smiled.

"Bella, do you wanna go shopping tomorrow night? You know, just to give your mind a break from all this analyzing?"

Damn it. It was time to tell her. "Alice, I can't."

"Why not?"

I hesitated. "I… met someone…"

Alice blinked. "What? Who?"

"His name's Jack. I met him at the Youth Conference that _you_ didn't go to."

"Then how did you not know him?"

"It was one of Jessie's friends. We have a date tomorrow night with Sarah and Jessie."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't wanna get your hopes up."

"What do you mean?"

"What if Jack ended up being like James? I didn't want you and Edward vowing to kill him."

"Well, you should've told me… and that's another thing!"

"Oh God…"

"He wanted to kill James after what he did to you! That's a true friend, Bella."

"Okay, okay. So we've established that he's a good friend, but a bad crush. I get it."

"Good," she nodded. "So tell me more about Jack."

"He's got black hair and pale skin. He's American and well-built and very attractive."

"He doesn't look like Edward, does he?" she asked warily.

"No. Just in the build. He's not as thin as Edward, but you can tell by looking at him that he's done some work of his own in the drama department."

"Is he a techy?"

"I have no idea. I don't know if he's even _in_ drama production. But if he is, he's definitely a deck techy."

"Okay, so what about personality?"

"In personality… he's _exactly_ like Edward."

"Oh, Bella…"

"I know what you're thinking. But there's one thing Jack has that Edward doesn't."

"And what might that be?"

"Feelings for me."

Alice rolled her eyes, then smiled. "You really like him, don't you?"

"Is that crazy? I mean, considering-"

"Absolutely not! This could be good for you. Edward, no matter what his real feelings are, is with Jane. You need a distraction."

"Alice, you just got done telling me that this isn't over."

"It isn't. But in the mean time, you could use experience with other people… just like _he's_ doing," she beamed.

I rolled my eyes.

The next night, I sat in the kitchen and waited for Jack, Jessie, and Sarah. At around 8:00, they showed up in Jessie's camaro. I jumped into the back with Jack while Sarah sat up front. It was a little cramped, but it was fun. We had the radio on 95.5 the whole way to the mall. After we got there, we walked around until we couldn't walk anymore. Eventually, we separated. Jack and I went one way and Sarah and Jessie went another. It was the first time I was actually alone with him. We sat in the food pavilion and talked for almost two hours.

"So how have you been feeling?" he asked me.

"About what? There's been a lot going on."

"How about your great-grandmother?"

"It hasn't been so bad. I've been feeling a lot better than I thought I would."

"Yeah, that's usually how it goes. When it first becomes a reality, it feels like you have no way out. But over time, you find it getting easier day by day."

I smiled and nodded.

"And what about Edward?"

I looked up at him.

"I'm living life day to day…"

"How's the friendship holding up?"

"Pretty well, actually. A lot better than expected."

"Was it mind games?"

"How did you know…?"

"I can tell. You look like the typical victim of that sort of thing. I've played a few head games of my own."

"Then maybe you could explain it to me. Why?"

"It's just something we do sometimes. It gets addictive, though, for some guys. It becomes a compulsive habit. But don't worry, I doubt that's the issue with Edward."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because he knows when to stop. He wanted to go to your great-grandmother's funeral with you, remember. That wasn't a mind game. That was sincerity. Trust me. I'm a guy; I know when I see it or hear about it."

"How did you know about that?"

"You talk in your sleep. I heard you over the phone. I decided to hang up before my conscience would call it an invasion of privacy." He smirked.

"Thank you," I said, "but you were saying…?"

"Oh, right. But yeah… we find some sort of sick pleasure in it, I'll admit. It's actually fun. If you tried it, you'd think so, too. But it's kind of like sex, in a way. It's fun and it feels good at the moment, but for some reason, guys tend to enjoy it more often than girls."

I laughed and he continued.

"We think it's fun for the moment, but eventually, we regret it and we feel remorse. But most of the time, it won't stop us from doing it again. It takes years for our maturity level to reach that stage. But we'll continue to feel bad about it."

I nodded in understanding.

"But, Bella, you need to keep something in mind."

"What?"

"Sometimes, we don't always play games for the sake of playing games. Some of us have reasons. Like Edward. You always need to remember that his games may have a reason. He could be doing it because he likes you. That's always a possibility. One way to tell if his 'mind games' have a reason is to analyze the situation. If the stunt he's pulled seems risky or far-fetched, there may be some incentive behind it."

"Like…?"

"Well, let's say he was to cook up some lie to convince you to go somewhere or do something…"

"I have the perfect scenario."

"Shoot."

"What if he told me that if I needed to be home by eleven, then my mother would need to pick me up from the place in question. Then as I turned to leave the offer, he stopped me with a story that he needed to have another girl at a certain place at a certain time that was 45 minutes earlier than my desired time. Once I agreed to that, we go to the place in question where he later denies saying anything about the certain place and certain time?"

Jack blinked.

"Well," he sighed, "it _could_ be a mind game, but it's unlikely. Most guys wouldn't go that far unless he liked the girl. Did you ever confront Edward about this?"

"Yes… but he didn't answer the question. All he said that I didn't know before was that he was going to take me home. But I keep wondering why he didn't just say that in the first place. I mean, I trust him with my life."

"Then it sounds like he may have wanted to make sure that you wouldn't back out. If he only gave you his word, then there may have been a chance that you wouldn't take that risk with him. But if he fed you a story that sounded legit, then there was a greater chance that he could get you to go. And you also need to take into account that he didn't fully answer your question when you brought it up again. That could be a sign that he had something to hide. But like I said, this is purely speculation. I personally don't know the guy. I couldn't tell you for sure."

"You're a blooming genius, Jack. You know that?"

He grinned. "Of course I am. I'm the best you'll ever meet."

I smirked. "My, what an ego."

He shrugged. "I'm a dick, what can I say? I love it."

I laughed. "Me too." Then I checked my phone. "Damn it."

"What?"

"Sarah. It's time to go. She said to meet us at the Cheesecake Factory."

"They always did know how to spoil a good time."

"Jack?" I asked as we walked.

"Yeah?"

"How can you possibly be okay with this?"

"With what?"

"Listening to my issues with Edward? He's another guy and…"

"I'm not worried about it all."

"Why not?"

"Because in the back of your mind, you know just how important this guy is to you and how much you need him in your life. He's your best friend. And that's the only way you can ensure him a place in your life forever. If you were to get with him, it would end one way or another. Then you guys wouldn't even be able to pull off a friendship. And you love the friendship you have with him more than anything. I can see it in your eyes. And you and I both know that it's not worth risking. Is it?"

"It's like you can read me."

He smiled and took my hand as we entered the Cheesecake Factory. He thought he knew, but he had no idea. It felt wrong, continuing to pursue a relationship with this guy even though I had just fallen in love with another. But my hopes rested with Jack. He would be good for me, a good dose of danger and mischief. I would get from him exactly what I would get from Edward and I knew that. But it felt so different.

We walked hand in hand into the Cheesecake Factory and found the booth where Sarah and Jessie were making out passionately. Jack and I looked at each other once before grabbing the silverware and banging it against the table obnoxiously. Their reactions were priceless.

After dinner, we all shared an enormous piece of cheesecake and discussed the stuff we could do to get in trouble with all the spare time we had, seeing as how I didn't have to be home until 11:30 and the others until midnight. It was only 10:15. _Fucking 10:15..._

"I think we should do something to Alice's house," I said. "TP her yard or fork it or something."

"I say we slash James's tires!" Sarah screeched maniacally.

"Where did you hear about that?!" I whispered murderously.

"Angela."

Luckily, the boys had no clue what we were talking about.

"No, let's sneak into an R-rated movie!" Jessie said. Jack agreed, though I knew he could come up with something much more mischievous than that.

Sadly, it became too late to do anything, seeing as how we used up most of our time arguing about what we would do. We piled back into the camaro and drove to my house. Jack walked me up to the door and kissed me on the cheek.

"Hey, do you wanna do something tomorrow afternoon? You know, to make up for last weekend?"

My face lit up. "Yeah, of course!"

"Okay, I'll get Jessie and Sarah to set it up and I'll call you."

"Okay. Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight, Bella."

I went inside and closed the front door behind me. I hugged myself, silently exploding in excitement. Charlie, Renee, and Ben were already in bed, so I locked up and took a shower. My cheek burned from that kiss, even after I fell asleep. I could feel it as I dreamt.


	4. Undying Nightmare

I woke up on Sunday morning to my phone vibrating. I checked my clock. It was freakin' 6:00! WTF?!?!?! I answered and Jack's voice filled the empty space in my head.

"Whaddya say to the Kani House for dinner tonight?"

"Will Jessie and Sarah be there?"

"You betcha."

"Then count me in."

At around 7:00, Jack and the others showed up at my house. We rode to the Kani House in the camaro like four sardines. Jack and I spent the whole night watching Sarah and Jessie go at each other.

"Oh, please!" Jessie said. "Sarah, there is no way you could beat me in a tennis match."

"Is that what your mom told you?"

"Why would I need my mom to tell me that?"

"Because after tonight, your mom may very well be the only female you have left!"

"You don't mean that…"

"Oh, don't I? Why don't we go over to the park and find out who the better tennis player is right now!"

"You're on!"

Jack and I groaned as the other two made a run for the camaro. We ended up sitting in the freezing cold at the park as Sarah and Jessie stripped down into their tennis outfits. Sarah was in a tank top and tennis skirt with her hair in a ponytail and Jessie was in shorts and a sleeveless body shirt. Just looking at them froze me. It felt like their match lasted for hours, it was so cold.

By 11:00, Jack and I were sitting on the ground. We were sitting face to face, Indian style, with our faces buried in each other's shoulders. I could feel my lips turning blue.

"They are insane," I mumbled into his jacket. "It's freezing out here."

"I know."

"What time is it?"

"Five after."

"Brilliant."

"I'll steal his keys and get us into the camaro," he said, kissing my forehead before he stood up. I smiled. I could feel it in me; I really liked Jack. It was so easy to admit, but I didn't know why. I didn't _want_ to deny it.

Jack took the keys out of Jessie's gym bag, helped me up off the ground, and held my hand all the way to the camaro. He unlocked it and we climbed into the backseat. We turned the car on and waited for the heat to take over. We were quiet for a little while.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me.

"A number of things. Mostly right now."

He smiled. "Who do you thinks will win the match?"

"My money's on Sarah."

"I agree. Jessie's good, but Sarah's aggressive. She'll totally rape him."

I smiled. "You play tennis much?"

"Not at all."

"Then it's really gonna suck for you when they finally convince us to do a two-on-two."

"Well, hopefully, by then, we'll be doing one-on-ones."

I smiled again. I knew that we'd eventually start dating, just the two of us. And the thought didn't bother me anymore. I was hoping it would be soon. "I do, too."

Next thing we knew, Sarah and Jessie were banging on the windows. We let them in and we left the park, listening to them argue about cheating and do-overs the entire ride home. Jessie was such a sore loser. The night ended the same as the night before as I let myself in and locked up before taking a shower and going to bed.

The next day, it was Monday again. The tech class and acting class were merged into the classroom where Miss Kay put on Twelfth Night. I sat in the back of the classroom with Alice on my left and Rosalie on her left. As expected, Edward pulled up a chair on my right. But my eye caught something suspicious. With him, Edward had brought popcorn. It didn't take long for him to offer. I hesitated, pondering carefully over the similar event that had occurred five months prior. He made silly comments throughout the class period, but what caught me by surprise was when I felt something poke me in the hip. I turned to see that mischievous grin on his face as he poked me again. Then he held out his orange soda and offered me some of that, but I declined, not wanting to break the ebb and flow of the déjà vu. Then he turned his whole body towards me.

"I can piss you off."

"I doubt it."

He looked off to the side and shook his head. "I'm gonna piss you off so bad."

I just looked at him with my feet propped up on the table and my arms propped up on my knees. I could tell by the way he was talking to me and the look on his face that he knew exactly what he was gonna do and that he was definitelygoing to do it. He had already made that decision, I knew. But I never saw this coming. In one swift moment, Edward placed two fingers at the base of my right breast and ran his fingers from the bottom of breast to the top. I huffed through my nose.

"Edward… why?"

But of course, I received no verbal answer. Just laughing. And not just from Edward, but from Alice, too. I looked at her to see a very bemused smile plastered on her face. I rolled my eyes and shook my head and turned back to the screen, praying I wouldn't blush. Edward didn't know how lucky he was. He was the first guy to touch Bella Swan's breasts. The first time, he touched the left one with a baton and the second time, he used his hand on the right one five months later. It was like it never ended with him… and nothing made me happier.

That night, I was writing in my journal when my phone vibrated. It was Alice.

_A: "Im with Edward"_

_ B: "WTF r u doing with him?!"_

_ A: "cool ur jets. We're in the theatre. Im helping them paint sets and stuff 4 the musical"_

_ B: "is it just you???"_

_ A: "nope. Theres Quil and tons of other ppl with us. But im sitting next 2 him rite now…"  
B: "shit…"_

_ A: "u have no idea. I need to talk 2 u asap"_

_ B: "abt wat?"_

_ A: "Edward. But its gonna have to wait…"_

_ B: "is he rite next 2 u rite now?"_

_ A: "mmhmm…"_

This could be bad… or good, depending on what it was that she needed to tell me. Whatever it was, it couldn't be said with Edward looking over her shoulder. It was definitely something about him. After all, the only stuff we were known for hiding from him was stuff _about_ him.

I waited impatiently for two hours before my phone vibrated again. This time, Alice was calling.

"Alice?"

"Hey, I'm home. And we have a slight problem."

"What?" I moaned.

"Edward was sitting next to me tonight and he was like, 'Did Bella tell you that she confessed her undying love for me on Facebook?' and I was like, 'Oh, really?' as if I had no clue."

"You're kidding!"

"No, I'm serious."

"Did anyone else hear him?"

"Yes."

"Who?!"

"Well, Quil, Embry, and Mr. Banner were all sitting there and they definitely heard him. But I don't think they knew who he was talking about."

"But he said my name!"

"But they don't know who you are! For all they knew, he could've been talking about one of seven other Bellas at this school!"

"That's it! I've had it!"

"What are you gonna do?"

"Is he for real? 'Undying love'? Are you _shitting_ me?!"

"I know, Bella. I'm sorry…"

"Well, let's see what the douche bag has to say for himself!"

"Wha-"

But I had already hung up. I couldn't stick it to the man with a girl in my head; I found it difficult with even _me_ in my head. I opened my laptop and went straight to Facebook. Luckily for me and unfortunately for him, he was on chat. I didn't even stop to think.

_B: "so Alice called me a little while ago"_

_ E: "ya and"_

_ B: "she told me what you said"_

_ E: "and"_

_ B: "undying love? Really? Is ur ego really that big?"_

_ E: "no"_

_ B: "you told me you would keep it to yourself"_

_ E: "I thought you had prolly told her"_

_ B: "ya but Quil, Embry, and Mr. Banner didn't need to know"_

_ E: "they didn't hear"_

_ B: "that was my deepest darkest secret Edward. I kept that for months"_

_ E: "chill the fuck out"_

_ B: "when you say ur going to keep something to yourself I expect you to keep your word"_

_ E: "well welcome to me"_

_ B: "what? what does that mean?"_

_ E: "don't worry about it"_

_ B: "no tell me what you meant"_

_ E: "na im good"_

_ B: "tell me now"_

_ E: "na"_

_ B: "what do you mean 'welcome to me' are you always gonna do this?"_

_ E: "no its kinda one of those things that I don't mean to do it just happens"_

_ B: "well its fine but I still want to know what you meant"_

_ E: "that what it means"_

_ B: "really? And you couldn't just tell me that the first time I asked? What does it rly mean?"_

_ E: "idk"_

_ B: "whatever. But why would you tell her that I 'confessed my undying love for you'?"_

_ E: "idk"_

_ B: "I don't love you. You understand that don't you?"_

_ E: "ya. I knew that alice could interpret it into you really liking me cause you tell her everything"_

_ B: "oh ok I understand"_

_ E: "do you? Or are you just so mad that you are just saying it?"_

_ B: "im not mad"_

_ E: "rly"_

_ B: " I WAS mad"_

_ E: "ok but your not now because…."_

_ B: "even though you might be lying to me, I am compelled to take your word for it"_

_ E: "why did what I say change n e thing"_

_ B: "you're an actor when you want to be. I never know when your telling me the truth"_

_ E: "ok? I cant help that im good at it. I gtg"_

_ B: "ok goodnight"_

I logged out in a huff. I could honestly say that I wasn't _totally_ mad at him anymore. But I knew that he knew that Quil, Embry, Mr. Banner, and whoever else heard him say what he said. The whole ordeal frustrated me. Everything with Edward was becoming more than I could handle. And telling him that I didn't love him hurt so bad. I knew he would believe me easily and that's what hurt the most. He would never know or understand how in love with him I truly was. And it wasn't fair. I shouldn't even love him at all, let alone while I was starting to _really _like another guy. But it wasn't Edward's feelings that I wanted to spare. He had Jane. I wanted to spare Jack's.


	5. Venusian Liar

"Okay," Alice said as we sat down in the lunchroom the next morning, "I told him you had a boyfriend."

"You _what_? Alice, now isn't the right time for this."

"You're right," she paused. "A month ago would have been perfect."

I sighed as she continued.

"You should've told him as soon as it happened and maybe he wouldn't have guessed that you liked him!"

"Alice, he said he knew the entire time. It wouldn't have made a difference."

"You'd be surprised," she told me. "Bella, guys are from Mars and girls are from Venus. What does that make us?"

I rolled my eyes. "Venusians."

"Exactly. And you and I both know that you are one of the greatest Venusian liars in our existence. You could convince a polygraph test of anything."

"But here's the problem, lovely. I may be one of the greatest Venusian liars, but Edward is one of the greatest Martian liars in existence. He is my equivalent, maybe even my superior. We never say anything, but I can tell that every time one of us tells a lie, we pretend to believe it, but we really don't. Now, I know that every other thing that leaves that boy's mouth is bullshit. And I can't really tell if he believes some of my lies, but sometimes, I can see that something's off in his reaction or response."

"Well, that may be… but you need to screw your head on straight. I don't know what happened, but it seemed to have gotten a little loose after that Facebook chat from Hell. There's something you need to realize. Look at these details: remember when he touched your breast?"

"Like I could forget."

"Okay, well, think about it. Since he told you ahead of time that he was going to piss you off, he knew _exactly_ what he was gonna do. He knew what he was doing."

"And…?"

"He was _initially_ thinking about touching your breasts. It wasn't random. And also, what the fuck was up with him offering you some of his orange soda? I mean, why would he offer you something that he had his mouth on?"

"Alice, this is high school. We're friends; we're gonna share drinks."

"But it's not normal for him. Edward isn't that kind of person with anyone except us three. But more specifically, he's only really like that with _you_. I remember before I even came into this little drama you unleashed. It used to just be you and him. Then, a couple of weeks later, I came along. Then a few months later, Rosalie did. But before us, it was just you. You and him."

"Augh, Alice, stop saying that. I don't need to get used to hearing phrases like 'me and him'. There is no me and him. There's Bella, and then there's Edward. We will never be together."

"You would have a lot of fun with him," Alice pushed. I knew she was just trying to give me a reason to stay. Stay in this whirlwind that I knew to be a game. But what if it wasn't? I knew I'd hate myself if I didn't go for it and Edward ended up wanting me, too. It was possible that he did…

"Fine. What is his deal?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. But you're the master of analysis here. Tell me what you know and we'll work through it together. We'll do our best to come up with the best theories possible."

"Do you think we'll ever get it figured out?"

"I have no idea. Bella, I want answers as much as you do. I would _kill_ to know why he did what he did at La Push or hugged you in the leather jacket or, hell, wanted to escort you to your great-grandmother's funeral."

"So what do we do now?"

"Wait until drama. If we do come up with some sort of master plan, it can't look like you have anything to do with it. So if I do or say anything in drama, you go along with it… as if you don't know about the plan. Can you handle that?"

"Alice, I'm the second best female actress in our acting class."

"Who's first?"

"You. Except you don't project."

"Right… see you in drama," she said as the bell rang.

When I got to drama, I planted my perfectly happy mary-sue ass in a seat next to Alice and Rosalie in the classroom. Miss Kay started Up and I sat there casually, waiting for Alice to set the wheels in motion. I cracked open the journal and began to write. Edward had appeared extremely happy when I ran into him on the way in, so that had to be a sign of good things to come.

As expected, Edward opened his lunch and offered me food before anyone else, on which Rosalie called him out. Then he handed me an orange CapriSun, which was frozen. When I realized it was frozen, he took it back, bit into it with one of his sharpest teeth, and tore it open for me. I looked over at Alice. She had an eyebrow raised and I knew exactly what she was thinking. But all I could focus on were his teeth. I usually never really got to see his teeth. And I was unusually fascinated by how sharp the two "fangs" actually were…

"Do you know how many times I've undressed in the wings?" I heard Edward say.

"Do you know how many times Bella's stood behind the curtain and watched you?" Rosalie spewed. _Fuck, Rosalie…_

"Do you have a fetish we need to know about?" Edward asked me. My blood boiled.

"I've never witnessed anything like that in my life!"

"Not even your boyfriend?"

"That's none of your business. And besides, how did you know about that?"

"Alice told me."

"No, she didn't."

"Yeah, she did."

I looked at Alice. "Then I guess I'm gonna have to have a talk with Little Miss Brandon, won't I?"

Alice laughed nervously.

Satisfied with our performance, I turned my attention back to my journal. I wrote for a really long time. But before long, I could hear everyone around me getting up. We had only a few minutes left of class. I could hear Alice and Edward arguing about something in the background noise, but I wasn't really paying attention. It wasn't until I heard the last few words of Edward's last statement.

"… but I'm sure her 'boyfriend' does!" He used air quotes when he said 'boyfriend', which made my stomach turn over.

"Read her text messages!" Alice shot back.

"I don't wanna read her text messages. I wanna read her journal. I wanna know what's going on in her head." Then he bit his lip slightly, as if he had let a secret slip. The movement was so discreet, so inconspicuous… yet it wasn't enough so to hide from _me_. But I kept the conversation going, not even missing a beat.

"I thought you said you could read me."

"I can read your body language. I can't read your mind."

I eyed him and he eyed the journal in my arm.

"I'm gonna read it," he said.

"You're all talk."

"You go on dates, right?"

"Yes…"

Then he turned to Alice. "Tell me when she goes out with this guy. Then I'll break into her room and get it."

"No, you won't."

"Do you take the thing on your dates?"

"No."

"Then it's mine."

He was then saved by the bell. But I didn't let go of the big picture. He didn't mean to say what he said. He had bitten his lip in discretion. Apparently, his desire to know what's going on in my head was something I wasn't supposed to know about…

That night, my phone vibrated.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, baby."

"Hey, you."

"I have a proposal for you…" Jack said seductively.

"You shouldn't have," I answered, equally seductive.

"That may be, but I did it anyway." He paused. "How would like to go out with me on Saturday night?"

"I'd love that."

"_Alone_."

My heart raced. I wanted nothing more.

"Yes."


	6. When Love Knocks You Down

When my doorbell rang at 8:30 on Saturday night, the butterflies were immediately unleashed. I went downstairs to find my parents talking to Jack at the front door. He had on his responsible face on. I kissed Charlie and Renee goodbye and I left with Jack. As I followed him, we approached a doeskin 2002 Chevy Silverado 2500. It was beautiful.

After we both got inside, he started the truck. We turned up the heat, 95.5, and pulled out. Once we started down the road, I learned two things about Jack Dessler. 1) He loved to drive fast and 2) he drove with his wrist slung casually over the steering wheel. When I put two and two together, my heart stopped. The reality set in quickly, but that made it all the more exhilarating. I was quickly losing control, I could feel it. But I was trusting in Jack to keep everything under control.

We soon pulled into the Zaxby's drive-thru and then went straight to the movie theatre. We parked in the very back corner of the parking lot. As we ate, we continued to rock out to 95.5. After a few minutes, he turned the music down.

"So have you ever been on a real one-on-one date before?"

"Only once."

"What happened to_ that_ guy?"

"Just didn't work out."

"Bella, I'm one of the greatest liars of the male species. I know a lie when I hear one."

I rolled my eyes. "He left me standing in a parking lot at Port Angeles."

"Where?"

"At some club."

"The Bronze?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Okay, so no Bronze and no La Push."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"But movies aren't off-limits, I hope."

"Nope."

"Okay, then we better hurry before we miss it."

Then we got out of the truck and walked to the ticket booth. He took my hand as we approached the window.

"Two for Legion," he told the woman.

We waited patiently as she printed our tickets and gave them to Jack. He handed me mine and we walked in together. We got to our theatre and sat in the very back row. After awhile, we realized that no one was coming in. We were the only ones in the whole theatre.

"Looks like no one else wanted to see Legion tonight," I observed.

"I'm not surprised. It's been out for awhile."

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"You know, we could get away with so much in here."

"Like what?" I asked skeptically.

He laughed. "I'd never drag you into anything illegal, I swear. But think about it. It's dark, we're alone…"

I didn't answer. I just smiled and turned back to the screen. He did the same. But I wouldn't deny that the offer sounded so good to me. I thought about it, I'll admit. In fact, I thought about it all through the previews before the movie. Jack could sense my restlessness and took my hand.

After the movie, it was 11:30. My curfew was midnight, so we had some time to kill. We ran back out to the truck and started down the hallway. We rocked out to 95.5 the whole time. I watched Jack drive. He looked exactly like Edward. The same serious look and focus… it was derailing. And I loved every minute of it. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. I saw the speedometer needle inch ninety-five. I smiled to myself.

Then as we pulled up my driveway, I let out a breath, as though it had been something I was building up all night. Jack turned down the music, but it was high enough for us to still be able to hear.

"You look so beautiful tonight," he told me, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

I smiled. "Thanks. You look amazing, too."

"So what do you think? Is this what I hope it is?"

"I think it is."

"Then I've finally got it right," he said lowly as he leaned in. I felt my eyes close. I knew what was coming and I prayed it wouldn't stop now. Knock You Down was playing, filling the truck with the only other sound besides our breathing. When our lips met, I felt the sparks shoot through me like electricity through a current. It was the greatest feeling in the world. The chorus of Knock You Down seemed to grow louder than before as we kissed.

The feeling in my chest was something greater than anything I had ever felt before. I hadn't felt anything this good since the day I realized that I had fallen in love with Edward. But this… this brought me more pleasure.

After we broke the kiss, we got out and Jack walked me to the door. He kissed me again before we said goodnight and I went inside. I remained downstairs, standing by the front door for at least ten minutes before I was able to make it up the stairs. I took a shower and went to bed, my lips still burning from that kiss.

_Won't see it comin' when it happens,_

_ But when it happens;_

_ You're gonna feel it, let me tell you now,_

_ Say when love comes and knocks you down._


	7. One Day You're Gonna Get It

I woke up the next morning to a good morning text from Jack.

"Good morning, baby. Happy Valentine's Day."

I smiled and then it hit me. Alice and Angela were dragging me to a church dance. Fuck my life…

I came home that night in extreme exhaustion. The dance had been tiring. I immediately opened my laptop and logged onto Facebook. I updated my status: "sitting on my bed in my bf's jacket :)" And then my chat box popped open.

_E: "hey"_

_ B: "hey, whatcha doin?"_

_ E: "layin in bed"_

_ B: "cool I just got back from a Valentine's dance"_

_ E: "at school?"_

_ B: "no at church"_

_ E: "ok so who did u dance w?"_

_ B: "ppl u prolly don't know"_

_ E: "did u do any grindin?"_

_ B: "no"_

_ E: "y not"_

_ B: "should I have?"_

_ E: "fun fun fun fun fun fun fun dirty fun"_

_ B: "well ive never been in the position to know if its fun"_

_ E: "we grinded at that homecoming dance"_

_ B: "there rly wasn't anyone there I would want to grind w"_

_ E: "haha ok where was ur bf"_

_ B: "home. We went out last night"_

_ E: "oh r his parents strict"_

_ B: "no we just knew it would be impossible for us to do anything TONIGHT so we had our Valentine's date last night"_

_ E: "oh did u get a kiss"_

_ B: "yes!!!! My first!!!"_

_ E: "haha rock on girl was it quick or nice and slow haha"_

_ B: "nice and slow"_

_ E: "tongue?"_

_ B: "Edward! No it was sweet"_

_ E: "what mine and janes have tongue and theyre sweet as fuck"_

_ B: "lovely"_

_ E: "try it its soooo much fun and wait till he finds your spot"_

_ B: "spot?"_

_ E: "ya like janes is right under her tits I rub it and shes like putty and shes mine haha"_

_ B: "thanx for that. But we don't know each other THAT well"_

_ E: "you will get to"_

_ B: "idk…"_

_ E: "by reading you I can tell that when you makeout with him for the first time he will have to stop cause you will like it sooooo much haha"_

_ B: "so my body language told you that?"_

_ E: "ya I can get a lot from your eyes. Your more of a soft romantic type whereas jane likes to be rammed nto walls and bitten"_

_ B: "if its not rough it isn't fun"_

_ E: "for you?"_

_ B: "ive yet to figure that out. That's just what ive heard"_

_ E: "well there are two types"_

_ B: "and they are?"_

_ E: "soft romantic and hard as hell"_

_ B: "oh well I rly don't know which type I am"_

_ E: "slow and sexy haha I don't see you as a freak"_

_ B: "im surprised"_

_ E: "someone will find out and then you can tell me"_

_ B: "what do you mean?"_

_ E: "one day your gonna get it"_

_ B: "r u referring to sex?"_

_ E: "yes. Ok janes here I gtg goodnight I'll prolly be back on after she goes to bed"_

_ B: "ok I'll prolly still be up night"_

_ E: "ok night"_

I knew he was lying. There was no way she was there. I _knew_ she wasn't staying over at his house. If her parents had flipped over them being alone in the basement in broad daylight, there was no way in hell they were letting her go to his house at 11:00 at night. So I decided to do a little investigating, see what this Jane character was really about. I went straight to her photos. There were some of her by herself, some of her and her friends, a few of her and Edward, some of her and her sisters, and _tons_ of her and little kids. Some of the kids were either African or some other foreign type. That was a _huge_ clue. She was definitely big into charity and community service. She was certainly the volunteer type. And most of the photos were labeled "mission trip."

_Interesting_, I thought. So we were dealing with a _church girl_. How about that? I continued to search. When I finished, I was completely convinced that she wasn't the type of girl Edward let on. In her pictures, she was dressed modestly. She was usually in gym shorts, t-shirts, jeans, or sweatshirts. She was pretty sporty, too. But one thing I noticed was that she didn't wear tight or revealing clothes. No shorty shorts or low-cut blouses. I even found a photo of her and her friends at a waterpark. And guess what? She was wearing a one-piece bathing suit. A fucking one-piece! I could look at this girl and tell that she wasn't the type of girl that Edward made her seem.


	8. Just Ask the Damn Question

"C'mon, just ask the question!"

"No, Edward!" Alice squealed. "I changed my mind!"

Alice had been about to ask Edward how to be sexy for Quil now that they were together. But she grew a brain in the nanosecond between breaths and decided not to ask him.

"Alice," I told her, "if you don't ask him willingly, he _will_ force it out of you."

"She's right," Edward pressed. "I've forced stuff out of her."

"Well, I'm stubborn."

"What do you think _I _am?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm _not_ asking."

"Fine," Edward said. "Then I guess I'll just have to beat it out of Bella tonight."

I folded my arms. "I guess I won't be getting on Facebook tonight."

"Then I'll keep texting you."

"I'll turn my phone off."

"Bella, I know where you live. I'll just go to your house."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will. When your doorbell rings, it'll be me."

"Whatever."

APOV

My cell rang almost as soon as I got home. I already knew it was Bella.

"Alice, please ask him! I don't want him to beat me!"

"Very funny. You and I both know that he won't hurt you."

"He may not touch me, but his bark is way worse than his bite."

"If you say so… augh, he's calling."

"Okay, call me when you guys are done."

"I will. Love you, bye."

"Love you, bye."

I clicked over. "What, Edward?"

"What was your question?"

"Edward, I changed my mind. I don't wanna ask you."

"Just do it! I'm not nice like you; I can't just forget about it."

"Just forget it! Edward, you are _so stupid_! You're so dumb! You annoy everyone and everyone hates you!_ I_ hate you! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" After I finished, I took several deep breaths.

"Are you done?" he asked calmly after a moment.

"Yes."

"So ask your question."

"No."

Edward sighed. "Fine. Then let's just talk. You'll ask it eventually."

"Okay."

"So how are things with you and Quil?"

"Good. We just seem to be progressing very slowly."

"You guys will speed up eventually."

"I don't know. Quil's not like Jasper…"

"But he's a guy. You'll get to places with him."

"That's not what I want. Quil's not the type to start banging his girlfriend in her basement like you are."

"Actually, you can't breathe a word of this, but… Jane and I don't really do anything."

_I knew it…_ "Oh. But that's good, you know."

Then I got an incoming call from Bella."

"What's that?" Edward asked.

"Oh, Bella's calling."

And Edward went silent. Dead silent. Weird… So then I decided to play rather than pass.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I think you're playing mind games with Bella."

Dead silence.

"No, I really think you are… and you need to stop."

Dead silence.

"Are you?"

Dead silence. Before speaking again, I made sure to make it a _long_ pause. I made sure in was long and awkward for him. After twelve seconds, I figured he had suffered enough.

"So anyway…"

"Yeah, anyway…" The hostility in his voice made me happy. That meant I had done my job.

BPOV

It was Friday and Edward had been at a youth conference with Jane. I saw the statuses on Facebook to prove it.

Jane: "winterfest '10 here I come!"

Edward: "winterfest '10 wonderful gf wonderful friends and getting closer to God. What more can you ask for?"

_That's weird_, I thought. Edward had _never_ been a religious person. He had never even used the word "God" in the whole year and a half that I'd known him. That's when it hit me. He wasn't suddenly interested in God for h_imself_. He was in it for _Jane_.


	9. Jugulars, Virgins, and Deck Crew

**A/N: Look, you guys. I know it's boring right now, but I swear to you, you're in for one hell of a ride in just a few more chapters. I know these chapters are short. But that's mostly because they're fluff. However, they are also pieces of contributing evidence that is for the sole purpose of helping each of you answer the ultimate question: Is Bella REALLY getting played or is Edward hiding something? You decide.**

**P.S. - I'm gonna be updating like a mad woman tonight, so I'm gonna get to the first chapter of when Bella's world takes an unbelievable turn!**

Fucking Monday… and I had to spend it sitting in the classroom while Aunt Flo was visiting. The girls and I were listening to another one of Edward's famous Jane stories.

"… and I tied her to a bed and I had sex with her 'til she screamed."

We all blinked once.

"Well," I said, "I may never sleep again…"

"And this other time, I was biting her neck and I, like, tore open her jugular. I thought I was gonna kill her! We got blood all over the new, white couch and she had to get a turtle-neck before her dad came downstairs."

"Oh, Edward," Alice exclaimed, convincingly enthusiastic, "that is _so_ bad-ass!"

"Yeah…" I said in monotone, not even bothering. "What the fuck do ya know… Oh my God, Edward!"

"What?"

"You were right!"

"About what?"

"About that thing!"

"What thing?"

"That thing we talked about on Facebook…"

"Oh, yeah! Girl, I told you!"

"It was _amazing_! Oh my God, you were right!"

Alice and Rosalie just stared at us like we were crazy. I didn't feel like telling them that I had made out with Jack for the first time over the weekend. I didn't need a girl lecture. I much more preferred a guy's support. And then Edward started talking about oral sex.

"Head is gross," Alice said. "The whole idea within itself is absolutely disgusting."

"Don't tell Jane that," Edward warned.

"I thought you said you and Jane didn't do anything."

"She changed that really fast."

"I see," I said. "So how many times have you have you gotten her to let you do her?"

"I'm not telling you anything!" he blurted out defensively.

I leaned back in my seat, smiling in satisfaction. Funny… bad-ass Edward had no problem bragging about having sex with Jane until she screamed, but giving me an answer to my simple question was a touchy subject? I knew it. He's a fucking _virgin_! No truly sexually active person goes around talking about sex the way he does! He just thought that because the rest of us were virgins, we were stupid. Wrong. First of all, did he have any idea how difficult it is to pleasure a girl during sex, let alone make her _scream_? I mean, _come on_! Even _I'm_ not that clueless! And second of all, did he have any idea what it would take to tear into someone's jugular? I don't care how sharp those things are, he couldn't do it. And even if, by some miracle, he had managed to do it, grabbing a turtle-neck wouldn't solve the problem you would have on your hands. For her to still be alive, he would've had to have done the deed in the middle of the emergency room. Ridiculous…

"So Bella," Alice said suddenly. "You should join deck crew for the musical. We're short on crew, so if you're interested…"

"Sure," I answered instantly. Edward, I knew, was deck manager, so I knew this could be a good thing.

"I'll get you a slip," he said, getting up. He brought back a piece of paper with a calendar on it, marking all the crew calls. _Wow_, I thought. Four hours after school every day, twelve hours on Saturdays, and all for two and a half weeks starting Wednesday. Hmmm…

I signed the contract and handed it in to Mr. Banner. Little did I know what I was getting myself into…


	10. Tonight at Eight

Wednesday turned out to be a snow day, so the first crew call was a no-go. I sat in the living room that evening watching the 8:00 news with Charlie. He muted the TV.

"So," he said.

"So…"

"About deck crew… how long am I gonna have to pick you up from the theatre?"

I smiled sweetly. "Every single day for the next two and a half weeks."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No way. I'm not making all those trips. You're gonna have to find another way home."

"Okay, fine. I'll just get Alice to drive me."

"No. She's only had her license for two months. She cannot legally drive you."

"Well, then who do you suggest?"

"Call Edward?"

"As in _Cullen_?"

Charlie nodded.

I stood there for a moment and then began to laugh hysterically. "Oh, Dad, you're so _funny_!"

"No, I'm serious."

I continued to laugh.

"I mean it, Bella. Give me your phone and I'll make the arrangements myself."

"Oh my God," I said, not laughing anymore. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yes. Call him."

"Damn," I muttered.

And then I spent two and half hours sitting on my bed, staring at my phone, debating on whether or not to do it. When it was 10:30, I decided that I needed to do it before he went to bed.

_B: "hey can I ask u for a huge favor?"_

_ E: "wat"_

_ B: "my dads gonna have trouble picking me up from crew every day. So when I asked him who to ask for a ride home he specifically named you"_

_ E: "for 5 bucks I can"_

_ B: "ok but im talking every single day"_

_ E: "ok make it 10 a week"_

_ B: "and wats it gonna cost me when I tell you that I'll need to be picked up on Saturday mornings?"_

_ E: "another 5"_

_ B: "ok thanks you saved my dads life"_

_ E: "no problem night"_

_ B: "night"_

Augh. I couldn't believe I was really going through with this. Was Charlie insane? I thought dads were supposed to discourage all interaction between their daughters and boys, not push her to get rides from one that isn't her boyfriend or someone he hasn't even met. Edward was a bad boy from down the street. Even Charlie knew that. I couldn't believe this was happening. Starting tomorrow, Edward would be my ride home… for the first time in six months.

The next day, we rehearsed the one-act. I could see Edward through the curtain with Alice and Rosalie. After the rehearsal, I went backstage to find them all talking.

"Hey," Edward greeted me.

"Hey," I answered.

"When does practice end tonight?"

"Eight."

"Okay, then I'll be back at eight to pick you up."

"Where are you going? We have a rehearsal."

"Mr. Banner said I could skip 'cause I have a funeral to take care of tonight."

"Are you sure? You don't have to…"

"No, I can. I'll pick you up at eight."

"Okay…"

Then the bell rang. We all went to the classroom first to get our stuff. As he walked out the door, Edward turned around.

"Bye, Bella. I see you tonight at eight."

"Okay, see ya."

My heart skipped a beat when he said that. He made it sound like a date. For the next two weeks, it would be me and Edward. No Jack. Just Edward.


	11. La Push Squared

"I cannot believe this!"

I had been standing with Alice in the middle of the empty classroom for over three hours. It was 7:00 and all the actors were rehearsing onstage for the musical. But there was no deck crew. Tonight's crew call was canceled… as of Tuesday morning. Somehow, every other crew member had been informed… except me.

"Bella, it's okay. Edward will be here in a little while…"

"Alice, he knew! There was no deck crew tonight, but he told me that there was!"

"Maybe he didn't know…"

"Alice, he's the fucking deck manager! Of course he knew! He was the one who informed the others that it was canceled!"

"Okay, okay. You're right."

"If he doesn't like me, then why does he keep doing this? He knew, Alice. If he had just told me the truth, I would've taken the bus home three and half hours ago. But he decided to pull another stunt."

"I still stand by what I said before. He likes you; he's just being stupid."

"I hate this, Alice. I hate this…"

"I know, honey. And you're right. There wasn't deck crew tonight and Edward knew that. He definitely has something to hide."

"Well, let's go back to the classroom."

As we walked, a thought came to my head. I turned to Alice.

"Why are you here?"

"Tech crew is different than deck crew. I do lights and sound."

"Then what are you doing with me?"

"They won't need me for a little while longer."

"Well, Edward isn't gonna show up for another hour, so…"

And as if on cue, Edward walked in from the hallway. He was in his suit minus the coat, he wore his tie, cufflinks, church shoes, and his hair was neat. He looked so damn fine. All the air left my body and I shot up in my seat.

"You ready to go home?" he asked me.

"Uhh… yeah."

"Alright, then let's go. I came in through here, but nobody was in here. So I went and sat in the House, but then everyone kept staring at me."

I followed Edward out the door, which he held for me. I left behind a skeptical Alice; but little did I know that as soon as the door shut behind us, the text messages started to fly.

We put Edward's stuff in the backseat of the Volvo and pulled out. And, like I had been craving for six months, he floored it. He turned up the radio to 95.5 and rolled the windows down I breathed in that familiar scent. The essence of Edward.

"I hate this car," he said.

"Why?"

"The transmission's fucked up. And I swear to God, if I have to look at one more dead body, I'm gonna go crazy!"

Then he began ripping at his tie, jerking it off with so much force and urgency. He undid his cufflinks in the same manner and rolled up his sleeves. Then he ripped open the top buttons of his shirt. The whole time, he kept his left wrist slung casually over the wheel. I could do nothing but sit there and watch, growing more in love with him by the second. We rode in silence most of the way there. When he missed the right turn off the highway, I became curious. The last time he drove me home, he made the turn on his own, knowing exactly where he was going. Then he made the turn at the next light, prolonging our ride five minutes.

"Is this where you usually turn?"

_Oh, please. You know it's not_. "Actually, it was at the last light, but I figured you knew what you were doing."

When we approached my house, turned to him. "You can use the driveway this time."

"Are you sure?" he asked teasingly. "Running up the hill sounds like so much more fun."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…"

He stopped and unlocked the doors. "See ya."

"See ya."

And I went inside and straight to the dining room window to watch Edward drive away. Seeing his Volvo drive right under the streetlight like that looked exactly like that silver Volvo from back in November. Then Renee tapped me on the shoulder.

"Did you get a ride?" she asked skeptically. _Oh, shit. Here we go…_

"Yes."

"With who? Alice or Edward?"

"Edward…"  
"Did you guys talk at all?"

"Yes."

"Oh, then it must not be true love," she teased.

"Yeah, we talked this time, but last time-" _Oops…_

"Whaddya mean 'last time'?"

"Nothing…"

"No, spill."

"Okay… remember when I told you that I would get a ride home from dress rehearsal during the last play?"

"Yes…"

"Well, I kinda played it off like you had abandoned me and he asked what was wrong… I told him I'd lost my ride… he offered… and you know…"

"How did Tanya like that one?"

"I think she's over it… now. But then I had him drop me off at the warehouse and I ran up here."

"Epic…" she said. "My daughter is worse than I was…"

I let her have the last word and went upstairs for a shower and some serious sleep. I tried my hardest to get that picture out of my head. My God, did he look great when he was ripping off funeral apparel…


	12. Bail Out

When I got to drama, I was greeted by Edward. I decided to pull a few strings.

"Do we have practice tonight?"

"Yup."

"Are you sure? 'Cause we didn't have it last night and that would've been nice to know."

"Yeah, but then you would've had to ride the bus. Did you _want_ to ride the bus?"

"No…"

"See? I didn't think so either."

I bit my lip. I was piecing it all together. He had asked me yesterday when practice ended. He must have meant for the actors because he already knew when the crew would be released… if they were gonna be there. I was right. He had purposely told me that there was a crew call when there hadn't been. It was another La Push stunt, that much I knew. But I didn't know why.

"So when do you want me ready tomorrow morning?"

"Well, all the managers have to be there at nine, so… about eight. I'll pick you up and we can go get breakfast. Do you like Starbucks?"

"I love it."

"Then we'll hit Starbucks."

"Awesome."

So then he and Alice left to get their pictures taken for Honor Thespians. Rosalie sat down next to me.

"So how was your lovely ride home last night?"

"Amazing."

"Yeah… I heard he showed up in a suit and you almost fainted."

"What?! Who told you that?"

"Alice."

"Of course she did."

"So what happened?"

"After we got down the road, he started ripping off his ties and cufflinks. Then he rolled up his sleeves and started undoing the top buttons of his shirt. It was epic."

"Well, geez… I hope you were able to keep it in your pants. You think he was just doing that for your benefit?"

"Probably. He could've roughed himself up in the Volvo on his way to pick me up. If he was sick of the tie, cufflinks, sleeves, and top buttons, he would've dealt with them as soon as the funeral was over. But he didn't. He waited until after we were in the Volvo together."

"Of course he did it on purpose! He knows you, Bella! He knows how to work you! He knows what gets to you! He knows what it takes to get you to look! He knows what _little_ that can be!"

"Well, I'm gonna look, Rose."

"I know you are."

"So what do _you_ think?"

"See where this takes you guys. I mean, since you guys made this arrangement, you guys both seem so much happier. You're both in higher spirits."

"I know. I can feel it."

And I could. Edward was right. I liked him when I first met him a year and a half ago and I knew it. He was right. Even when I had an interest in Mike, I liked Edward. I set those feelings aside and ignored them for a whole year. Then on the stage, out of the blue one day… there he was. That was Edward. Looking at me with those beautiful green eyes. That was the day that changed my life forever and every day after that has been a blessing.

Hours later, it was almost 4:30. I was in the House with Alice and Quil. They did the lights and sound. I listened to them discuss the playlist for the musical until we were interrupted by Edward, who walked across the stage from the left wings.

"Hey, Alice!"

"What?"

"You wanna take Bella home?"

My heart jumped into my throat. But I swallowed it and tried desperately to keep the edginess from my voice. "What, you can't?"

"No, I can."

And he disappeared into the right wings. I turned to Alice.

"Did he just try to bail on me?"

"I don't know…"

"He did. Why would he do that?"

Alice shrugged and looked at Quil. He did the same. I stared at her for a few seconds and got up impulsively. I immediately went through the lobby and down the hall to the classroom. I walked with a purpose to the metal door that would lead straight into the left wings. I was on a mission. When I walked through, I found the three most unlikely girls sitting on the round pouf behind the curtain. I should have known… Tanya Denali. She was with Lauren and Chelsea. I should have seen this coming. No wonder he tried to bail on me. After what happened when he took me home six months ago… I should have known.

I turned my head as Edward walked back over to us. I was tempted to run before he saw me; I had found out for myself what I wanted to know, so there was no reason to stay. But I stayed put. I was too furious to move. When he came through the curtain, he was carrying a taco. He handed it to me.

"Want it?" he asked.

"No," I answered in a slightly hostile tone.

Then he turned to Tanya.

"You?"

"Not really."

He shrugged and threw it away. Miss Kay called deck crew to the House for a quick meeting. After we all gathered, I pulled out my phone and started texting Edward.

_B: "you should've told me it was gonna be a problem"_

_E: "it isn't"_

_B: "ok whatever"_

My anger was getting more and more difficult to hold inside. When Alice sat down next to me, I whispered harshly to her.

"It's Tanya."

"What?"

"After he tried to bail on me, I just had a hunch about what his incentive was. Then I found its model-hot corpse on the fucking pouf!"

"You think Tanya's the reason?"

"Oh, I _know_ Tanya's the reason! Alice, six months ago, she pitched a bitch fit just as we were leaving. She denied being upset about it, but she hadn't been upset until the moment Edward went to grab his keys. It was no coincidence. Then yesterday, he has no problem with taking me home when he could've easily just told me the truth and said that there was no crew call. No Tanya, no problem. But then today, I find out Tanya's on deck crew and he tries to bail. What the fuck?"

"You know, he _asked _Tanya to join deck crew."

I shook my head. This was unbelievable.

"Maybe you should talk to him," she suggested.

"I'll bring it up sometime tonight."

"Good. Good luck."

Miss Kay then released us to our stations and did our first run-through of the musical, acting, tech, and deck shifts. Tanya was placed in the right wings with Emmett McCurdy, one of Edward's buddies, and a few other guys. I stayed in the left wings with Edward and Lauren. Chelsea was in the cast, but she doubled as deck crew when she wasn't onstage. While we waited for the next scene change, I started talking to Collin. Collin was one of my old friends who was completely in love with Alice. He was a very sensitive and compassionate guy, so I talked in-depth with him about Edward. He was a really good listener.

"I just don't understand," I told him, my eyes filling up with tears. "I knew this was too good to be true…"

"Maybe you should talk to him."

"That's what Alice said. But I really hate being a burden on him. I warned him the other night that it would be an everyday thing. He knew what he was getting himself into. And _that's_ what kills me!" I exclaimed quietly, my voice cracking. I was really upset. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward eyeing me intently, so I dropped my voice a little more. "He actually _asked_ Tanya to join crew! He knew she was gonna do it weeks before we made these arrangements. And still, he agreed to drive me, knowing full-well that Tanya was gonna be here."

Then Collin's cue came and he had to go onstage. I went up to Edward.

"When's our next scene change?" I asked him casually.

"In a few minutes." He looked into my eyes. "My God, you look so _stoned _right now."

"What?"

"Yeah, your eyes are just… whoa. You look really stoned."

"Well, I'm not, I promise."

"Then something's wrong. What is it?"

"Nothing," I said convincingly. But I knew he didn't buy it.

"No. Don't even try. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong, Edward."

"You're lying."

"You're right."

"So tell me."

"Edward… _please_… don't do this now."

"Just tell me."

"Not right now."

"C'mon…"

"I'll tell you when we're in the car… that is if you're still willing to go through with the arrangements."

"Of course I am."

"Then why did you try to bail on me?"

"I didn't."

"Edward, I was sitting right there! You asked Alice if she wanted to take me home! As if you couldn't!" I took a step forward. "Is it because of Tanya?"

"No, actually, it's not. It's Jane."

"What about Jane?" Then I turned around. "Never mind. It's none of my business."

"I never said it wasn't."

"Then what?"

"I was supposed to meet Jane at Starbucks. But she wrecked, so our plan's fucked."

"Whaddya mean she wrecked?"

"She was speeding and lost control. Seven flips into a tree."

"Oh my God! Is she okay?!"

"She walked away without a mark on her. I installed a five-point racing harness in her car last weekend. If she had been wearing a regular seatbelt, she'd be dead."

"Oh my God…"

"Yeah, she unstrapped the harness, fell to the roof, and climbed out the window."

"So she's okay?"

"Yup. Perfectly fine."

"Okay, good…"

"But don't let that become your focus tonight. I'm not done with you tonight."

I rolled my eyes and took my position for the next deck shift.

On the way home, I was beyond exhausted. I wanted to sleep so bad, but I knew what was coming before he even said anything.

"So what was wrong with you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't pull that shit with me, Bella. You'll get nowhere."

"What even makes you think there was ever anything wrong?"

"Why else would you be all glassy-eyed when you talked to me?"

_Ha, I could name a few reasons…_ So I decided on a lie. I chose the one I should've used on Facebook back in January. "It was just shit with James…"

"What's the bastard doing?"

"He keeps calling the house and pissing off my father. He's just stirring up a bunch of shit."

"Do I need to kick his ass?"

"No, I can deal with it."

"Are you sure? I can handle it; I had to get into it with Jane's ex last week."

"What happened?"

"He had basically been stalking her for, like, a month and he showed up at her house. She called me and I went over there and took care of it."

"What did you do?"

"To make a long story short, his blood is still in her driveway and his ass is still in the hospital."

"Good."

After that, we mostly rode in silence. I knew he was tired, too. I almost nodded off several times. I was so tired. Edward glanced over at me and immediately whipped the car off onto a dirt road. He was going at least 80 when we heard an unsettling sound come from under the car.

"Aw, shit…" he muttered as we pulled over.

Edward got out of the Volvo and went around the car, checking each tire. He came back to check his phone. He looked up at me. I looked back at him drowsily.

"You're freaking out, aren't you?" he said.

"Yeah, totally."

He smiled, amused, and went back around, checking all the tires again. When he came back again, he got into the Volvo and shut the door.

"Okay, I think we're good. I must have just fucked up the rear axle."

Then we got to my house and Edward unlocked the doors.

"I'll see ya in the morning."

"8:00, right?"

"Yup."

"Okay, see ya."

"See ya."

Then I went inside and took a shower. I was tempted to just go straight to bed, but I knew I'd regret it in the morning. I let the hot water release the knots in my muscles and the tension I had felt before. I let the last memories of Edward take over. When I got back to my bedroom, I noticed that my phone was lit up; I had a text message. It was Edward.

_E: "B ready 845"_

_B: "what happened to 800"_

_E: "we're not goin to sb we're goin strait 2 school"_

_B: "ok"_

Then I set my phone down and started to clean up my phone a little. After about ten minutes, my phone vibrated again.

_E: "you wanna go to a movie tomorrow night or do I have to take you home after prac"_

Whoa, wake up!

_B: "what do you wanna see?"_

_E: "we're seeing somethin scary. I have to be home 12, so…"_

_B: "ok but you'd have to get my ticket for me"_

_E: "ya I know. We're goin w jane and some of her friends"_

Believe it or not, I was actually relieved.

_B: "ok I'll see wats playin"_

_E: "ok I'll wait"_

I got online and searched shows and show times for horror movies. There were only two. Shutter Island and The Crazies.

_B: "ok the only movie we can see after prac and still get home by midnight is Crazies 955"_

_E: "ok we'll do that then"_

_B: "ok great"_

_E: "oh and just so you know I have to leave early on wed"_

_B: "so wat do I do on wed?"_

_E: "idk you can go 2 church w me I can take you home 530 or you can find another ride its up to you"_

Oh, dear God…

_B: "ok I'll figure that one out l8r"_

_E: "ok it was just so you know"_

_B: "ya thanx. Goodnight"_

_E: "night"_


	13. Whatcha Say

I didn't fall asleep until 1:00. It was like I was only half-asleep the whole time, though. The half of me that was awake stayed up thinking about Edward's proposals and the half of me that actually slept _dreamt_ about them. And the thoughts started to scream. They got louder and louder until they woke me up. It was, again, 5:00. And, again, the first conscious thought to enter my head was the convo we had had only hours before. And, again, I didn't go back to sleep. Instead, I burst into tears. I was so scared. I couldn't help but think that we were getting too close too fast. We were closer than we'd ever been before and it scared the hell out of me.

I put in my iPod, encountering extreme difficulties since my hands were shaking so bad. I turned on every happy and uplifting song I had and even tried to sing along, but it didn't help. I was messed up. I cried for over an hour. I decided to get up and try to eat something. I walked downstairs to the kitchen and pulled a sugar-free chocolate pudding cup out of the fridge. I felt sick. I didn't open it. I didn't want it. Instead, I laid my head on the cold kitchen counter and continued to cry. Then the sickening feeling in my stomach intensified and I ran to my bathroom and threw up. I laid there with my face pressed against the cold tiles. I wasn't sick. I was scared. I never expected something like this to happen… with or without Jane.

I gathered enough strength to peel myself off the floor and go back downstairs. I ate very little; my appetite was gone. So I just went ahead and got dressed. At 8:30, my phone vibrated from my back pocket. Edward was calling.

"Hello?"

"I'm here if you care to get your ass out here."

"Okay, I'm coming."

I grabbed my wallet and my jacket and left. As I walked around the back of the Volvo, I could see someone else in the passenger's seat. It turned out to be Emmett. I climbed into the backseat. After I shut the door, Edward turned around and offered me two small, red pills. I could tell it was only ibuprofen, but I declined anyway.

_I see_, I thought. That was why he had bailed on Starbucks. Emmett must have called him late last night to get him to give him a ride to school this morning. We turned the music up to Edward's mixed CD. He played Bad Girlfriend at top volume and started banging on his steering wheel to the beat. I was beginning to feel high again.

When we got to the theatre, Alice was standing outside. Her eyes widened murderously as she saw me get out of the Volvo. I ran up to her and we went inside together. She opened her mouth to say something, but I shushed her and lead her back through the door into the classroom. Everyone took a seat in front of Miss Kay and Mr. Banner. Tanya and Lauren were already there. Edward and Emmett came in shortly after us and sat down across the room.

The meeting ended quicker than expected. Edward got up and went to the copier to make duplicates of the musical. While he waited for the machine to finish, he stared right at me. I didn't make direct eye contact with him, but I could see his eye staring at me for a full twenty seconds. Only when the copier was finished did he finally look away. He grabbed the copies and handed them to Mr. Banner and sat down, closer to Tanya this time. He only looked at me a few times after that. Then Alice tapped me.

"What the fuck were you doing with Edward and Emmett?"

"Can it, Alice. That was part of the deal."

"Oh. But did you catch him staring at you while he was at the copier?"

"Yup."

"That was a long-ass stare, if you ask me."

"You have no idea…"

"Hey," she said suddenly. "Your eyes are all puffy."

"What?"

"Your eyes are puffy. Why are they puffy? Were you crying? Why were you crying?"

"Alice, will you shut up?! Look, he asked me to the movies tonight."

Alice's eyes grew wide. "No…"

"Yes."

"And this upset you?"

"It scares the fuck out of me, Alice. There's only so much I can take before I snap."

"Are you gonna be alone?"

"No, we're going with Jane and some of her friends."

"Do you want me to follow you?"

"No, retard. I can handle this on my own."

"Okay. Just please be careful."

I nodded and went back to the classroom to wait for the actors to show up. After an hour, I gave up trying to stay awake and laid down on the pouf. I was almost asleep when Edward jumped on top of it and began to shake it violently.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

I sat up. "Okay, okay! I'm up! I'm up."

And Edward started laughing before he ran away like a child. I smiled and shook my head. I considered just laying back down, but I knew if he caught me again, the wake-up call would be more intense. And at this point, my nerves couldn't handle any more intensity. So I got up and joined the hoedown that was going on in the classroom. Tanya and Edward were teaching Embry how to double-grind a person. _How ironic…_

I didn't know what time it was. I was tired. So I spent my time laid out on the pouf, half-asleep. We were in the middle of the second act when Edward shook my leg. I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

"What?"

"You ready to go?"

"It's eight already?"

"No, it's 6:30. Mr. Banner said the crew could leave."

"Great!"

"Okay, let's get the fuck out of here. You still wanna go to the movie or do you wanna go home?"

"Let's hit the movie."

"Cool. I need to call Jane and let her know that we got out early."

We got in the Volvo and headed out. As we left campus, he floored it famously and looked at me, smiling and searching me for a reaction. I gave it to him. Then he pulled out his phone.

"Hey, babe… yeah, we got out early… yeah, let's hit the earlier time…" He turned to me. "What was the earlier time for The Crazies?"

"7:40."

He turned back to the phone. "7:40…yeah, and I have Bella with me, by the way."

My stomach dropped. So Jane didn't know I was coming? He and I planned out this entire thing: show, time, everything, and she doesn't find out 'til right now that I'm showing up with him?! Was he _looking _for trouble? I began to get scared again. Something about this didn't add up. I continued to listen to his convo with Jane.

"Oh, well, I can just take her to my house with me…" We headed in the direction of his house. My heart began to pound. What the fuck was he doing?! First, we plan to go to breakfast at Starbucks, then he invites me on a date with his girlfriend, then he offers to take me to church with him, then I find out that Jane didn't know I was showing up with Edward, and now he's taking me to his house where I _know_ nobody's home! My God, he is too comfortable with me. But then he turned the car around.

"Well, if that's what you wanna do, then I'll have to change clothes at Starbucks. I can't get to my house, then the theatre, and then Starbucks in time… okay, then we'll be there in a little while… okay, I love you. Bye." Then he turned to me. "Okay, here's the plan. First, we're gonna go get the tickets. I'm gonna try to get all four. Then we'll meet Jane and her sister at Starbucks, and then we'll race back to the theatre and catch the movie."

"Okay, awesome."

Then we turned the music up and rocked it out on our way to the movie theatre. After picking up the tickets, we head to Starbucks. I followed him inside where he ordered a frappucino. He asked me what I wanted and I told him nothing. We sat at the bar next to each other, facing each other and waiting for his frappucino.

"Are you as cold as I am?"

"Yes, but at least I'm not in my leather jacket. That bastard's freezing."

Edward laughed. "I'll bet. Those things _repel_ heat."

"You don't say?"

Then his frappucino was ready. He brought it back and sat it down between us.

"Have you ever tried one of these beasts?"

"Edward, I think _everyone_ has tried a frappucino before."

"One made exactly like this?"

"Okay, no."

"You want to?"

"That's okay. Really."

He got up and grabbed another straw. He opened it and put in the frappucino. He held it up and I took a sip.

"Oh my God, that is good."

"I know, right? Do you want me to order you one?"

"No, I'm good. Lunch was filling."

"You didn't eat, smart one."

"Well, I _saw_ enough to make me vomit."

"It's not the same thing."

"It is for me. I haven't had much of an appetite today."

"Why not?"

I sighed. "James," I lied.

"I'm serious, Bella. I can kick his ass if you want me to. Just say the word."

I smiled.

"Okay," he said, getting up, "I need to change before they get here. Here, watch my stuff." He handed me his frappucino, his keys, and his wallet before leaving for the restroom. While was gone, I opened his wallet. I looked at his driver's license. The picture was horrible. I grinned softly to myself as I stared at the picture for a few more minutes. Then Edward came around the corner and looked at me weirdly.

"What are you _doing_?"

"Cute picture," I laughed.

He smiled. "Oh, yeah. That picture is horrible. Surely you remember when I looked like that."

"Yeah, I guess… but I don't remember you as _ugly_."

"Wow, thanks."

"Anytime."

Then my phone vibrated.

"Who's that?"

I looked at the phone. "Alice. Apparently, she's still at the theatre."

"What?! I told her to go home! Gimme your phone."

I handed it to him and he dialed Alice's number. He held it for a few seconds before hanging up. "She didn't answer. I'll try on mine."

He tried calling Alice on his phone, but she didn't answer.

"Okay," he said, getting up, "let's go out to the car. We'll wait in the Volvo."

"Okay." And I followed him back out of Starbucks. We walked to the car and got in. He turned up the heat and 95.5. Then Alice texted me.

_A: "You and Edward BOTH called?"_

_ B: "ya don't worry abt it. Edward just wanted 2 tell u 2 go home"_

_ A: "well im walking out the door"_

_ B: "good. I'll see ya tmrw"_

_ A: "ok have fun and call me if u need me 2 come and get u"_

I rolled my eyes.

_B: "I will I promise. Goodnight"_

_ A: "goodnight"_

Then I turned back to Edward.

"She just left."

"Good. Now it's about time that we _just left_."

"I_ could_ be mistaken, but I don't believe the girls are here yet."

"I just texted Jane and told her that if she wasn't here in five minutes, I was taking off with you and going straight to the movies. They would meet us there."

Then, suddenly, he began messing his hair with his hands violently. He checked his breath and started with his hair all over again.

"God, don't give yourself a brain hemorrhage."

"Do I smell good?" he asked urgently.

"I don't know! I guess…"

Then he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into him, my face just millimeters from his neck.

"Do I smell good?"

"Yes, you smell amazing."

"Is it too strong?"

"No, you're perfect."

"Okay, good."

He let me go and I leaned back against the seat, trying to control my breathing. We were silent for a little while. Then Edward checked his phone.

"Okay, that's it…"

He put the phone to his ear.

"Hey, babe. Where are you?... well, I'm leaving for the theatre… what, you really think you can get there before us?... you're on!"

He hung up the phone and we hightailed it out of that parking lot. We got on the highway and Edward floored it.

"So she seems to think that she can take some back road to the movie theatre and actually beat us there."

"So we're racing her?"

"Yup. Oh, and by the way, we have to keep our mouths clean around Jane."

"She doesn't like cussing?"

"Nope."

"My mouth will stay clean," I vowed.

Edward smiled. "Thanks."

We got to the movie theatre first and Jane showed up with her sister a few minutes later. She looked exactly like the pictures. Edward immediately took her waist and the sister and I followed behind them. We got to our theatre and sat in the back row. Jane sat down first, then Edward, I skipped a seat and sat down next to some Mexican, and the sister sat between me and Edward. I was not about to sit next to him in a movie theatre. My biggest fear was that he would start a poke fight or start flirting, which he had a tendency of doing no matter who was there to see it. He had fucked up miserably with Tanya and I didn't wanna see him do that with Jane.

After the movie, everyone took bathroom breaks except me. Of course, Edward was the first one out. He stood next to me against the wall.

"What did you think about that movie?"

"It was okay… have you ever seen The Happening?"

"No."

"Well, it was like that except, in The Happening, the airborne disease caused everyone to kill themselves, not other people. But at least the acting was better in this one."

"Then the acting in The Happening must have really sucked."

I laughed. "You have no idea."

Then the girls came out and we all huddled together.

"So what do we do?" Edward asked. "Bella doesn't have to be home by, like, one-"

"Midnight," I corrected.

"-so let's do something. Let's go somewhere."

"Dad said we had to be home by 10:30, so…"

"Jane, you have Erin with you. She's 23. Wouldn't that make it better?"

Jane laughed. "Are you kidding? With Erin with me, that makes it worse. Dad said 10:30."

"So we have 45 minutes. Let's go somewhere."

"Where do you wanna go?"

"Let's look at cars at Troncalli."

"Why would we do that?"

"I don't know."

"Well, how about we just drive around until we find somewhere to hang out."

We all agreed on the plan and went out to the cars. We stopped at Jane's loaned black Mustang.

"Edward, could you do me a favor?" Jane asked sweetly.

"Sure."

Jane glanced down at the rear bumper of the Mustang. "Would you mind popping my bumper back into place?"

We all looked down at the bumper. She had definitely hit something. Edward sighed, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What did you do?" he moaned.

Erin started laughing hysterically. "She hit the mailbox leaving the driveway… on our way here!"

"Good God, Jane, you're gonna get yourself killed."

Jane batted her eyelashes and Edward bent down to fix her bumper. We all stood around him, watching. After a failed attempt, Edward stood back up.

"Baby, I hate to tell you this, but I think you're screwed. You messed it up a little worse than I can fix with my bare hands."

"Aw, that's okay."

"Okay, then let's go."

The girls got in the Mustang and Edward led me back to the Volvo. We got in.

"Okay, so where are we going?" I asked.

"Wherever. We're following them."

We waited for Jane and Erin to pull out in front of us and lead the way. When they did, we took off. Edward rolled down the windows, turned up the music, and floored it. He was definitely high. I knew he hadn't actually taken anything, so it must have been the espresso shots. That and life. He was jamming to 95.5 and yelling randomly. He was totally wired. We followed them to Port Angeles. They pulled into a Target parking lot and we followed. We all got out and just walked around Target. Erin and I kinda hung back and gave Jane and Edward their space. After we got bored of that, Edward picked up Jane bridal-style and carried her out to the Mustang. Erin and I toiled behind. It was so funny how it wasn't awkward at all. Everyone was perfectly at ease.

Then we headed over to Starbucks. We sat outside and talked. Erin put her two cents in pretty often, but I just sat there casually and listened. After awhile, Erin began to meander off.

"I'm going to the car. Jane, you have three minutes."

"Okay."

I stuck around and stared at traffic, but when they started kissing, I took that as my cue to leave. I casually got up and walked over to the Volvo. It was locked, so stood outside and pretended to text Alice so that I didn't look completely stupid. After a minute, the Volvo unlocked and I crawled inside. Edward must have seen me even though he was sucking face with Jane. I waited for another ten minutes before Edward and Jane finally said goodnight and we left. It was 10:15. _Fucking 10:15…_ Hopefully, he was getting ready to take me home now.

"Hey, did you already tell your parents that we were seeing the earlier showing of The Crazies?"

"Nope."

"So they aren't expecting you home until midnight?"

"Right." My stomach was getting butterflies again. Where was this going?

"In that case, you wanna go to a party with me?"

Uh-oh… "Is there gonna be drinking?"

"Drinking, weed, smoking, and cocaine. But don't worry; I'm just a designated driver. I'm not gonna be doing any of that shit, I promise."

"You should probably just take me home."

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Damn, I really hate that I can't be myself around Jane 'cause she won't let me cuss!"

"So she'll let you shag her senseless, but she won't let you cuss around her?"

"Pretty much." Then he turned up 95.5. He started yelling and banging his palms on the wheel. The espresso shots were really getting to him. I began to laugh; watching him was the most hilarious sight in the world. The music blared, but it did nothing to drown out his screaming. As we got on the highway, he had me doing it, too. I let out a scream of pleasure and thrill. He turned to me and had to yell over the music.

"What's wrong with you?!"

"What?! You can scream, but I can't?!"

"Is that how you let it out?!"

"Yeah!"

"YEAH!"

I let out another thrilling scream and he answered it with his own warrior's yell. He turned to me with the biggest smile on his face. And I could feel myself smiling, too. I laughed with him. And all I could think to myself was, "This is why I love him."

Just then, "Whatcha Say" came on on full volume. We sang it together at the top of our lungs.

_I was so wrong for so long,_

_ Only tryin' to please myself;_

_ Girl, I was caught up in her lust,_

_ When I don't really want no one else._

This had to be the best night of my life. My heart was so full that it could burst at any second. And Edward, with his now tousled bronze hair, was so beautiful. I was falling in love with him all over again… though I had never stopped falling from the first time.

_I know I shoulda treated you better,_

_ But me and you were meant to last forever;_

_ So let me in, give me another chance,_

_ To really be your man._

I felt like I could do anything at this point. I was where I felt most comfortable and safe. I was with Edward. And that's all I needed. I was alone with him in the silver Volvo I've adored for months. And we were singing together, not even caring whether or not the other had a great voice; I knew _I_ didn't. But Edward's was amazing. I had never expected him to have such a spectacular singing voice.

_'Cause when the roof caved in and truth came out,_

_ I just didn't know what to do;_

_ But when I become a star, we'll be livin' so large,_

_ I'll do anything for you._

We were belting out the lyrics like it was nobody's business. I was surprised that he knew the words to this song. I looked at him several times from the beginning of the song. I noticed that over time, he began to look more focused and solemn, like he was singing this song with a purpose. That's why I felt a great fear when he turned the music down almost all the way and leaned back. He looked absolutely terrible.

"Bella?" he said quietly.

"Yes," I almost whispered.

"I need to tell you a secret. Will you promise not to get mad?" _Oh, no…_

"I swear. I will not get mad."

There was an unusually long pause. I was afraid to look at him, but I did anyway. I knew that whatever it was he wanted to tell me, it was really bearing down on him. So I looked around at where I was. We had just been belting out the lyrics to "Whatcha Say" and then all of a sudden, he needs to tell me a secret that I could potentially get angry about? I knew what was coming before he even said anything.

"What is it?" I asked gently.

"I kissed Tanya yesterday during rehearsal. And then… yesterday, before school, I made out with her."

I hesitated. "Why would I get mad about that?"

He didn't answer my question, though. "And I know I've done some mean shit to you…"

_Oh my God…_ "Like what?"

"Telling Alice your business in front of all those people… I really thought she knew." He paused and looked at me. "Did she?"

The remorse in his eyes was undeniable. This had really been hurting him… that he had hurt me… "Of course she did," I told him, trying to ease his guilt. "She was the one on the phone with me while I was on chat with you that night."

"She was telling you what to say to me?"

"Not really…" I refrained from telling him that she was the one who listened to me cry for the duration of our conversation.

"I'm so fucked up… I've gotta stop."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Just stop talking to her. I'm just not gonna talk to Tanya anymore."

"Is that why you're doing this? Are you still attached to her?"

"No. She's still in love with me and I still have feelings for her, but what we had wasn't going anywhere. And I love Jane _so much_…"

"So why do you keep leading Tanya on?"

"Because it's so hard not to. She's my whore."

I gave him a look.

"Not like that," he said, returning the look. "She wanted me to be the one she gave it all to."

"Did she?"

"No, but she still wants to."

"Don't let her."

"I won't." He paused. "And, you know, Jane is so much easier to please."

"I'm sure. I can look at both of them and tell. Jane definitely isn't the high maintenance type."

"Not like that. I mean sexually."

"Oh…"

Edward laughed. "Okay, I'm about to go really deep into our conversation. You might even think it's disgusting…"

"Try me."

Edward told me the things he did with Tanya and compared her reaction to Jane's. "It's just the way she responds to me."

"Yeah, she just… I think it's a good idea that you're ending this thing with Tanya."

Then we pulled up my driveway.

"Oh, man," I said tiredly, "I'm gonna get a shower and go to bed."

"Me too. I'm wiped."

_What? No party?_

"I'll see ya Monday," he said.

"Yeah. See ya Monday."

I watched him drive away, feeling so full of love for him. Edward was so confused right now and he had all these feelings that he never expressed or let out. He had told me once that he only cries once a month by himself in the shower. It didn't seem right to me, that he thought he needed to bottle everything inside and never tell anyone what he was feeling.

But he had told me. He told me everything he was feeling without actually putting it into words. He was truly sorry for what he was doing to Tanya. I knew that. But what got to me and made me realize how much he cared about me was that he started acknowledging the wrong he'd done _me_. I thought that had been all about Tanya and Jane, but he had actually acknowledged the fact that he had hurt _me_, too. And the way he spoke to me… the remorse radiated off of him and wrapped its arms around me. And I knew that he knew that I would forgive him. He didn't have to say sorry for me to know that he was. I knew him.

So I walked into the house with Edward's love surrounding me.

_Mmm, whatcha say, Mmm, that you only meant well,_

_ Well, of course you did;_

_ Mmm, whatcha say, Mmm, that it's all for the best,_

_ Of course it is._

_ Mmm, whatcha say, Mmm, that it's just what we need,_

_ You decided this;_

_ Whatcha say…_

_ Mmm, what did she say?_


	14. AN

A/N: Hey, everyone. I know a lot of you are wondering about a lot of things, e.g. where is Jack, why did Jasper and Alice break up, and most importantly: WHEN THE FUCK IS EDWARD GONNA GET WITH BELLA?! I know, I know. But I PROMISE. I'm getting there. This story is about to get more tense and painful than it already is. And when it's finished, you'll understand why. Please review and give me your thoughts. No one knows how badly I need your opinion about the contents of this story.


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